This is, by far, one of the best lectures I’ve heard in my life. MashaAllah!

“Prayer in Focus” by Sh. Abdul Nasir Jangda from Islamic Institute of Orange Cty on Vimeo.

A Friday Family Night presentation by Sh. Abdul Nasir Jangda at IIOC on March 12, 2010 titled: “Prayer in Focus”

A hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) makes this point clearer. The Prophet said,

“O People, you are not able to, or you will not do, all that you are ordered to do. But, instead, try to be upright and have glad tidings.“[Abu Dawud]

In another hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Messenger of Allah stated, “Be straight on the path or be close to it.” What the Prophet meant by this statement is that a Muslim must be in one of two situations for every belief, statement and deed: The first state is where the belief, statement or deed is correct and along the Straight Path. It is like a person who has taken aim at something and has actually hit his target. The second state is where the person intends to do what is right and correct but falls a little short. In this state, it must have been the case that the person intended and wanted to hit the target but he simply missed due to his own inability. However, at no time would a Muslim intentionally not hit the mark or not aim at the mark. The Prophet mentioned these two cases and these two only, and they are the only acceptable cases. (Ibn Rajab)

Hence what is required upon the person is either to be fully following, adhering and sticking to the Straight Path or to be doing his best to adhere to that Straight Path, although he may fall short of that Straight Path.

Compiled From:
“Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi” – Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 834-837

The mutual “work” that is required of each individual in Islam— the jihad al-akbar —in which we all must engage throughout our life course, is the very foundation of the ideal male-female relationship in Islam. Marriage, for example, in traditional spiritual teachings is often referred to as a mutually supportive path toward self- and God-realization, where the goal is not the other, but God Himself. The role of the relationship or partnership on this path is to support one another with tenderness, kindness, open communication, and strength toward achieving the goal. The ideal is that each partner focuses on giving, not receiving, in the spirit of service. This can only occur, however, if each partner understands that the relationship itself does not exist for the purpose of power, subordination, or solely for the fulfillment of sensual desires. It is a truly spiritual partnership, where inherent differences are acknowledged, respected, and appreciated, thus meeting in cooperation to further the mutual goal of achieving true love.

This difficult process, however, requires mutual commitment toward personal wholeness, which can only be achieved through dedication to self- and God-realization. When men and women as individuals are complete and whole, at peace with who they are, and filled with love of God, they have no need to seek another to complete themselves. An ego-based notion of love (also known as romanticism), is nothing but a self-centered desiring that is “the dependent ego searching for a reflection of its need in another’s willingness to support and gratify it. This form of relationship is recognized by the experienced as the mutual gratification, support, and enabling of codependence,” (Ansari) that means the attempt to complete ourselves through another. And what happens when we reach that point when we realize that the “other” cannot complete us? Without understanding and the ability and desire to work through it, the results can be frustration, disappointment, resentment, and even divorce (in the case of a marriage).

To be whole we have to realize that we already are whole. Allah created us whole, yet it is through forgetfulness of who and what we really are, and from whom and where we came that prevents us from realizing our true nature. Remember, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that every human being is born pure and in a state of Islam. However, because we have been taught to forget, we go “looking” for love in all the wrong places, so to speak. Thus, the path of (self) knowledge and remembrance of Allah is the path toward wholeness, which is our natural state and the source of inner peace and tranquility.

Source: Islam Online

January 22, 2010 should have been a day where we brought an end to the injustice. It should have been a day where Americans rejoiced at the first mark of ‘change’ President Obama had promised us. It should have been a day where the innocent were freed to put together whatever is left of their life. Instead, January 22nd represents another unfulfilled promise, another disappointment, and another step away from our ideals and principles.

Guantanamo detention facility has been open for 8 years now. January 22nd was supposed to be the day where all the innocent prisoners who’ve been oppressed by our unjust system were returned home. Now, the suffering continues and their voices are still not heard. As people of conscious, our voices must be heard. We must speak out and stand up for them.

As we celebrate the strength and courage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we do not honor his legacy by taking a day off from work and school. If we really wished to honor him, we’d stand for justice. I see nothing just in leaving over 100 Guantanamo detainees, who have already been screened and cleared for release, to rot in a jail cell while we enjoy our day off.

Inallhonesty

By: Babar Ahmad

Babar Ahmad is a 34 year old British Muslim and the longest detained-without-charge British detainee held as part of the global ‘war on terror’. In December 2003 Babar was arrested at his London home under anti-terror legislation. By the time he reached the police station Babar had sustained at least 73 forensically recorded injuries, including bleeding in his ears and urine. Six days later he was released without charge.

Babar’s family, friends and campaigners have mounted a high profile campaign for his release. He recently appeared in the news when it was revealed that the police had bugged his prison visits with his MP, Sadiq Khan (Labour-Tooting). His final appeal against extradition is at The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which is due to decide on it shortly. If extradited he faces the rest of his natural life in solitary confinement in a maximum security US ‘Supermax’ prison. Further details on his case are at www.freebabarahmad.com. He reflects on his four years in captivity.

I have now spent nearly an eighth of my life in prison. Life in prison is a journey into the unknown. Unlike other journeys it is one of those things that you can never plan ahead for. You don’t plan to have a car accident. You don’t plan to get cancer. You don’t plan to die. And you don’t plan to go to prison. Prison is just one of the many tests that you must pass in order to succeed in life.

The Prophet (saw) said, “There is some magic in words.” Tyrants use the magic in words to control people’s thoughts and deeds by making evil appear acceptable to them. So kidnap is known as “arrest”, brutality becomes “reasonable force” and torture is nothing more than “enhanced interrogation.” When an innocent man is kidnapped from his home by bearded Arab gunmen and locked indefinitely in a room he is a “hostage.” But when an innocent man is kidnapped from his home by uniformed white gunmen and locked indefinitely in a room he is a “terrorist.” The world causes uproar over the former but is silent over the latter. “In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends,” observed Martin Luther King.

Fear is a disease that consumes the soul of the one who embraces it. Man’s total capacity to fear is fixed: the more he fears one thing the less he fears another. People fear standing up to a tyrant because they are afraid of some harm that he ‘may’ cause them, even though that harm is limited to the life of this world. Such people have little or no fear for any harm that Allah will cause them in the Hereafter. However, if these same people were to fear the Day when they shall return to stand before the Lord of the Worlds, they would not fear any tyrant on the face of the Earth. “Do they fear them? Allah is more worthy for you to fear if you are indeed believers.” (Quran 9:13)

We survive in life by wearing a variety of faces that disguise our true inner selves. We have one face for our families, a face for our friends, a face for our colleagues, and a face for strangers. Since we are always switching between faces others hardly get to see who we really are. Sometimes we ourselves forget who we are. The harsh reality of prison life relentlessly files away at your external faces and personae to reveal the true you. There are no secrets in prison. Sincerity, hypocrisy, bravery, cowardice, good, evil – all are laid bare. Prison brings out the best, and worst, in people.

Prisoners undergo such a concentrated experience that they develop intensely deep personalities. We interact with each other heart-to-heart, not face-to-face. Our conversations frequently revolve around hope. No man, let alone a prisoner, can live without hope: hope that there is indeed a dawn at the end of this long, dark night. What else do you say to a man facing life in prison?

People are like “metals”, according to one narration of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Some people are like a cheap bracelet plated in gold: the smallest crisis files away the fake gold to reveal the cheap metal underneath. Others are like a gold bracelet covered in rust: hardship rubs away the rust to bring out the gold below to the surface. And a third type are solid gold, inside and out: calamity just polishes the gold so it sparkles from near and far.

During the last four years I have personally witnessed the worst of men turn into the best of men. I have seen gangsters, drug barons, armed robbers and murderers, of all faiths and races, convert to Islam in prison. I have always been inspired by converts since every conversion is a miracle, but seeing a hardened criminal accept Islam is something else. Only the true religion is able to cause genuine, lasting change in an individual in a short space of time.

The first word revealed in the Quran was “Read!” There is no life without reading. Reading beneficial writing is one of those pleasures that makes you forget you are in prison. During the last four years in prison I have travelled back in time and all over the world. I have visited Jerusalem during the Crusades. I have lived in Muslim Spain. I have accompanied African slaves as they were kidnapped by European slavemasters. I have shared in the suffering of the Native Indians in North America. And I have lived with leaders, hostages, death row inmates and journalists as their writings narrated to me their stories.

Yet all of these writings amount to nothing compared to the one book that has helped me through my ordeal the most: the Glorious Quran. It is my breakfast, lunch and dinner. If I do not read my daily portion at dawn, my heart feels heavy by mid-morning. The Quran is not just a book that mentions stories which are centuries old: it is a book that mentions the present. “We have certainly sent down to you a Book in which is your mention. Will you then not reason?” (Quran 21:10) Whosoever reads the Quran and reflects on it will find himself and his situation mentioned therein. This is only one of its many miracles.

Prison teaches you not to be judgemental of others, but to treat everyone at face value. When you deal with fellow prisoners you must deal with their present, not their past. That is the only way you will get through prison. Prison hardens you in some aspects, and softens you in others. It humbles you: laying bare your shortcomings. Since much of prison time is spent reflecting on your own past, all of your life’s wrongs come to the surface. Man cannot progress in life until he acknowledges his weaknesses and mistakes. Acknowledging that a problem exists is half of its solution.

Prison has taught me that there is a part of you that no-one can ever take from you, and that is your heart. For the heart is where true happiness resides. When you reach the stage where you are content with your destiny you have defeated your captors and become the most powerful prisoner in the world. This is what belief in Divine Destiny is all about. It is to be happy with whatever Allah has decreed for you: to be happy with your life, to be happy whether you are rich, poor, tall, short, dark or fair. When you are satisfied with your lot in life, you have won.

Every hardship is like being in prison. People feel imprisoned by ill-health, marital discord, financial insecurity, family disputes and other problems. To anyone who feels imprisoned by life’s problems I would say: be content with what you already have and never lose hope of things getting better. Be happy with your share because this is a quality of someone who truly loves Allah. When the Companion Muadh ibn Jabal (ra) was undergoing the pangs and agonies of death, he cried out, “O Allah! Bear witness that I love You, so do with me whatsoever You wish!”

I would never have wanted to come to prison, but, looking back at these four years, I am glad that I did. I have ventured close to breaking point but due to Allah’s Grace and the support of some wonderful people I have not yet crossed it. My ordeal has been harsh, difficult and exhausting, but it has also been an adventure. Some of the happiest days of my life have been in prison. I have had experiences in prison and met people that I will never forget.

The writer Mustapha Sadiq Ar-Rafei wrote, “When I looked into history I found a small number of individuals whose lives mirrored the lifecycle of a grain of wheat. They were torn from their roots, then crushed, then ground in mills, then kneaded with fists, then rolled out and baked in ovens at high temperatures… just so they could provide food for others.”

Patiently persevere in the face of hardship hoping for a good outcome because you never know how many dead hearts you will bring to life in the process. No hardship lasts forever. There is always an end.

Source: Emel magazine

By Samana Siddiqui

As Muslims, we should always remember that oft-repeated Dua recited after our daily prayers: “Our Lord give us good in this world and good in the Next world and save us from the punishment of the Hellfire”. This helps us choose priorities in life balanced between our Dunya and Akhirah. Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Solidify your financial position

The global recession of the last two years has shattered hopes of economic security for most people the world over. Keeping in mind that Allah is the Provider (Ar-Razzaq), start off by making a deep, sincere Dua asking God to increase your earnings in a Halal way. That can mean different things. It can translate into taking on a second job in your spare time or encouraging your older children to look for work, especially in the summer. On a larger level, it can include starting your dream business or even working with an existing one to strengthen it with your skills and talent, if not your capital.

If you’re still in school, carefully consider your career path. While it’s important to be passionate about what you do, a certain level of financial security is important for everyone to reach their potential in life. Research hot and upcoming fields, like green and sustainable development in all sectors, which big corporations are also seeking to fill with qualified personnel. Then see if you can marry your passion with a solid profession.

Remember that even with dire news about t­­­­­­he shrinking job market, all Rizq, in all forms, is in the hands of Allah and He is in control of all things. We must do our part in thinking about the best way to earn that Rizq, then put our trust in Him to help us. And He will.

2. Cut down waste in all forms

Hand in hand with seeking financial security, we should resolve to cut all waste in our lives. Allah describes waste as a quality of Shaytan (Quran 17:26-7) and there are plenty of ways most of us engage in this. Whether it’s the countless plates of leftover food we throw out daily, the water we let run during overly long showers or all of the lights we leave on even when we’re not home. These “small” wastages total huge ones on a yearly basis and not only are they a spiritual drain, but a financial one as well. Wastefulness has become a lifestyle. Let’s change it step by step. Simple living is what the Prophet Muhammad practiced. Peace and blessings be upon him.

3. Reconsider what it means to be a citizen

Many of us, whether born in or naturalized in a country, often forget that “citizenship” is not just about rights, but duties as well. While it’s important to defend our rights, it’s also critical to do more than just pay our taxes and obey the law.

Muslims are encouraged to do not only good, but to strive towards what is best (Ihsan) in all aspects of our lives. That includes our community life, not only within the Muslim community, but in our country as well. This year, resolve to be a better citizen by committing to work for peace and justice at home and abroad. This can translate into joining a local peace and justice group, becoming a more frequent letter writer to your Congressperson or local media outlet, as well as participating in a neighborhood betterment association.

4. Reconnect with the teenager closest to you

Muslim youth, teenagers in specific, are facing tremendous challenges in America today. Muslim youth are the most angry and least happy as compared to the youth of other faith communities in the United States, according to one Gallup Poll.

This is why the older Muslims in their lives, whether they are parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents or others need to really start paying attention to them. The faith of our youth is at stake.

Start off with a weekly “date night”, one on one dinner and conversation at a favorite restaurant, at home or a favorite hangout. But one rule: no text messaging, games or cellphones for either of you allowed. You don’t have to talk about Islam and you shouldn’t initially. But the point is to express your love and affection for them, find out what they’re struggling with, as well as help steer them to the Straight Path with wisdom and beautiful preaching.

5. Support Muslim media

Some of us may have thrown a magazine or newspaper across the room upon reading Islamophobic material therein. Others of us may have even penned a couple of letters to the editor in response that may have been published. That’s great and it’s important to keep doing that.

However, if we truly want a Muslim voice that can reach an influential, as well as   a general audience, the key to that is supporting and improving on existing Muslim media. Last year, Islamica Magazine, an excellent scholarly and high quality publication, folded due to financial problems. That’s the death of not just any magazine. Rather, it’s the loss of a platform for the expression of Muslim voices that are not being heard by the mainstream. Other publications and media outlets (e.g. Sound Vision and Radio Islam) may not have folded, but they are definitely struggling and cannot continue their work without community support.

It’s become cliché in money-saving circles to say “skip the daily latte” to save money. We advise you to do the same and use the funds to support Muslim media.

6. Revive your relationship with the Masjid

Yes, the local Masjid is not always easy to attend. You haven’t gone there in years or if you do go, you offer a quick prayer and get out of there as fast as you can.

This year, try to revive your relationship with your local mosque, not for anyone but yourself. For now, focus not on their policies or politics. Use this premiere Islamic institution only to fortify your faith and connection to Allah. Attend Juma prayers, make sure to pray the extra prayers offered upon entering the Masjid (Tahiyyatul Masjid) and if you’re nearby during the weekdays, try to catch the congregational prayer there.

There is a power in a place dedicated to the worship of God which is simply absent when you pray in your cubicle at work or a stairwell in the corner of a school hallway. While prayers there are accepted, the Masjid offers you a sense of peace and security essential for spiritual development and advancement.

If your local Masjid is a place you’d still rather avoid, consider frequenting one close to work or school. The point is to reconnect with a House of God.

7. Help someone get married

Some of us balk at such an awesome task, a move which Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, described as “half of faith”. But given the fact that finding the right life partner is getting harder for a host of reasons, take it upon yourself to help a fellow Muslim get married this year.

It doesn’t call for opening up your own marriage bureau (although you can always direct someone to one if they’re interested). All it requires is for you to consider it your personal responsibility, especially if you yourself are married, and even more so if you are happily married. After all, shouldn’t we love for our brother/sister what we love for ourselves? Also, as a married person, you’ve got a pool of potential candidates via your spouse that can match up with your own friends. If the process is done with dignity and discretion and results in marriage, not only will you help someone settle down in life, but you’ll reap its spiritual benefits as well.

Source: Sound Vision

It is a widely discussed, mulled-over, mutilated, and excessively groaned-about topic. I speak of the case of the serious and unfortunate event of Spinsterhood.

For the average Muslim girl, it seems the expectation is that she enter the marriage market at eighteen, with all the prospects that a young, fresh, nubile thing can afford, hoping to land a tidy end-of-story by the time she finishes undergrad. Once she graduates (and remains single), she may manage to stave off questions and expectations of marriage if she enters grad school (highly unlikely). If she starts work after graduation, then the next logical question is, “Well, she’s gotten an education and is working. What is there left for her to do but get married?” What’s left, indeed.

Her friends get engaged, and it’s exciting. Aunties ask her, “When’s it your turn?” She laughs graciously and shrugs unconcerned because she can. One by one, more friends and acquaintances get hitched and the smiles become more stilted, her expression less optimistic, and her chin inches up a notch. She develops a fierce phobia of pity and a hypersensitive awareness of being judged. (If she’s lucky) people think better than to ask because it’s not a funny joke anymore. The non-verbalized query becomes, “No, I’m serious, what’s going on with you? Why aren’t you getting married?” Boys her age follow suit (ouch) and younger, more nubile, fresher things enter the mix (competition is stiff!).

And then, she’s left ruminating over how and when she got passed over.

I submit that this unhealthy exercise is just that. This type of situation can be a particularly trying period in a woman’s life, a time of in-betweens, what-ifs, how-comes, and why-me’s. Insecurity ( “I’m fat”) tangos with disillusionment ( “Why aren’t I appreciated for…?”) and bitterness ( “What does she have that I don’t?”). Low self-esteem, excess stress, sporadic man-hating, minimal trust in God, and pettiness abound. These approaches are a disservice to the integrity and value of this girl having a crisis of self-worth. Everything she is, has accomplished, learned, and contributed should never be diminished by the petty weight of her single status. Sainthood is an aspiration. Motherhood is an honor. Robin Hood is super cool. Spinsterhood is a joke.

God has already written if and when each of us is finding our partner in life — neither these words nor this good fellow can be erased from our futures; the pen has been lifted, the ink has dried. We live by our own timelines and no one else’s. It’s not because you aren’t pretty enough, nice enough, smart enough, thin enough — it is not because you are not enough. It doesn’t matter how many people things didn’t work out with, it only needs to work out with one, the right one. Everyone you know can get married eons before you, but Mr. Took-His-Time will stroll into your life at exactly the moment that is perfect, because he is perfect for you, and no one else. This is neither a criticism against marrying young nor an exhortation to delay marriage. It is an appeal to my sisters to appreciate themselves before someone loves them for their true worth. Whether or whenever that is.

Source: Muslim Contributor

(40 : 64) Allah, it is he Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy. and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord : so Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).

(39 : 6) He created you (all) from a single person (Adam) ; then made from him his wife {Hawwa, (Eve)}. and He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs (of the sheep, two, male and female; of the goats, two, male and female of the oxen, two, male and female and of the camels, two, male and female). He creates you in the wombs of your mothers : creation after creation in there veils of darkness. Such is Allah your Lord His is the Kingdom. La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?

(7 : 54) Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!

(10 : 32) Such is Allah, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? How then are you turned away?

2. Who is Allah?

(59 : 23-24) 23 : He is Allah beside Whom La Ilaha Illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the King, the Holy, the one Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory, be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him. 24 : He is Allah, the creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

(20 : 14) “Verily! I am Allah! La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), So worship Me, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance.

(2 : 255) Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyuum (the Ever Living the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth .Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He Knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass any thing of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (This Verse 2:225 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi).

(35 : 13) He merges the night into the day (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the night is added to the hours of the day), and He merges the day into the night ( i.e. the decrease in the hours of the day is added the hours of the night). And has subjected the sun and the moon: each runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah, your Lord; His is the Kingdom, And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the date-stone).

(3 : 18) Allah bears winess that La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness); (He always) maintains His creation in justice La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise

(3 : 51) Truly! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the straight Path.

3. Did you think that Allah created you only for play and without any purpose?

(3 : 115) “Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”

4. For what did Allah create mankind?

(51 : 56) And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).

5. What did Allah command us to do?

(4 : 58) Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching with He (Allah) gives you! Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer.

(6 : 151) Say (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him] ) : “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: be Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; Kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.

6. From where shall we seek guidance?

(1 : 1 – 6) 1: In the Name of Allah, the Most. Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). 3: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 4: The Only Owner (and the only Ruling judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) 5: You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). 6: Guide us to the Straight Way.

7. Who shall we invoke in time of disaster?

(29 : 65) And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him Only: but when He brings them safely to land, behold they give a share of their worship to others.

(10 : 12) And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him! Thus it is made fair-seeming to the Musrifun that which they used to do.

8. What happened to the previous nations when they disobeyed Allah?

(29 : 40) So We punished each (of them) for his sins; of them were some on whom We sent Hasib (a violent wind with shower of stones) (as on the people of Lut ( Lot), and of them were some who were overtaken by As-saihah (torment – awful cry. (as Thamud or Shuabs people), and of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow (as Qarun (Korah), and of them were some whom We drowned (as the people of Nuh (Noah), or Firaun (Pharaoh) and his people). It was not Allah Who wronged them, but they wronged themselves

9. Does Allah guard and save the Quran from corruption?

(15 : 9) Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).

10. Who should we worship?

(20 : 14) “Verily! I am Allah La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-salat) for My Remembrance. 11) What is the religion of Allah?

(3 : 19) Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in calling to account.

12. What is the religion accepted by Allah?

(3 : 85) And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.

13. Where does the Quran come from?

(42 : 3) Likewise Allah, the All-Mighty the All-Wise sends Revelation to you (O Muhammad [ Peace be upon him]) as (He sent Revelation to) those before you.

(6 : 114) (Say (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him ]) “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah while it is He Who has sent down unto you the book (the Quran), explained in detail.” Those unto whom We gave the Scripture (the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth. So be not you of those who doubt.

14. Why did Allah send messengers?

(4 : 64) We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allah’s Leave.

15. Do we have to believe in all the messengers?

(2 : 285) The Messenger (Muhammad [Peace be upon him ]) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers” – and they say, “We hear and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).”

16. What happened to the previous scriptures?

(4 : 46) Among those who are jews, there are some who displace words from (their) right places and say: “We hear your word (O Muhammad [ Peace be upon him]) and disobey,” and “Hear and let you (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him]) “hear nothing.” And Raina with a twist of there tongues and as a mockery of the religion (Islam) And if only they had said: “We hear and obey”, And “Do make us understand,” it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not except a few.

(5 : 13) So because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. And you will not cease to discover deceit in them, except a few of them. But forgive them and overlook (their misdeeds). Verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (good-doers)..

17. Who is the last messenger?

(3 : 144) Muhammad ([Peace be upon him]) is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful.

18. To whom did Allah send the last messenger Prophet Muhammad [Peace be upon him]?

(34 : 28) And We have not sent you (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him ]) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not.

19. What did Allah prepare for those among the Jews and Christians who believe?

(57 : 28) O you who believe (in Musa (moses) (i.e. Jews) and Isa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger (Muhammad [ Peace be upon him]), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight). And He will forgive you. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

20. What is the likeness of lsa (Jesus [ Peace be upon him) before Allah?

(3 : 59) Verily, the likeness of Isa (Jesus [Peace be upon him ) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: “Be” – and he was.

21. What did Allah say about Mary?

(3 : 42 – 47) 42 : And (remember) when the angels said: “(O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the Alamin (mankind and jinn) (of her lifetime).” 43 : O Mary! “Submit yourself with obedience to your Lord (Allah), by worshipping none but Him Alone) and prostrate yourself, and Irkai (bow down) along with ArRakiun (those who bow down).” 44 : This is apart of the news of the Ghaib (unseen, i.e. the news of the past national of which you have no knowledge) which We reveal to you (O Muhammad [ Peace be upon him) You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam (Mary); nor were you with them when they disputed. 45 : (Remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word (“Be”- and he was! I.e. Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary), from Him, his name will be the Messiah Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah.” 46 : “He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood and he one of the righteous.” 47 : She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.” He said: “So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: “Be!” – and it is.

22. Was Jesus crucified and died on the cross?

(4 : 157 – 158) 157 : And because of their saying (in boast), “We killed Messiah Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah,” – But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but they resemblance of Isa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they Killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not ( i.e. Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). 158 : But Allah raised him (Isa (Jesus) up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he [ Peace be upon him is in the heavens). And Allah is Ever All-Powerful All-Wise.

23. Was Jesus the son of God (Allah)?

(112 : 1 – 4) : 1 : Say (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him ): “He is Allah, (the) One. 2 : (Allah the self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks). 3 : He begets not, nor was He begotten. 4 : And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him..

24. How could you be secure?

(6 : 82) : It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others beside Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.

25. What is the life of this world?

(57 : 20) : Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. (It is) as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers – evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers – good-doers). And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.

26. Whatever of blessings and good things you have, is it from Allah?

(16 : 53) And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help.

27. How could you guarantee the blessings of Allah?

(14 : 7) And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: “If give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless ( i.e. disbelievers), verily My punishment is indeed sever.”

28. How could you save yourself from a painful torment?

(61 : 10 – 11) 10 : O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment? 11 : That you believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad [ Peace be upon him ).

29. Whosoever puts his trust in Allah, what will happen to him?

(65 : 3) And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.

30. What is the destination of the disbelievers?

(57 : 15) So this Day no ransom shall be taken from you (hypocrites), nor of those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism). Your abode is the Fire. That is your maula (friend – proper place), and worst indeed is that destination.

31. What is the destination of the believers?

(4 : 57) But those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) and do deeds of righteousness, We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow ( Paradise), abiding therein forever. Therein they shall have Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives), and We shall admit them to shades wide and ever deepening (Paradise).

Stated al-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen (d.1421H) – rahimahullaah: “And in order that it will be known – O brothers – that al-mutaaba’ah cannot be actualized, except when the action is in agreement with the Sharee’ah in six affairs:

1. The First: as-Sabab (reason, motive); So when the person worships Allaah with act of worship that is accompanied by a motive that is not legislated by the Sharee’ah, then it is an innovation that is rejected back to its doer. An example of that is when some of the people commemorate the twenty-seventh night of Rajab under the pretence that it was the night in which the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) ascended. So tahajjud (the night Prayer) is worship. However, when it is accompanied with this motive, it becomes an innovation. This is because this action of worship is built upon a motive that has not been confirmed in the Sharee’ah. And this description – the conformity of the worship to the Sharee’ah in motive – is an important affair that clarifies many innovations from amongst those that are thought to be from the Sunnah, yet they are not from the Sunnah.

2. The Second: al-Jins (type); so it is inevitable that the act of worship be in conformity to the Sharee’ah in its jins (type). So if the person worships with an act of worship whose type is not legislated, then it is not accepted. An example of that is if a man were to slaughter a horse, then this sacrifice would not be correct, because it has opposed the Sharee’ah in the type. So the blood sacrifices cannot be done, except with cattle, grazing livestock, camels, cows and sheep.

3. The Third: al-Qadr (quantity); so if the person increases in the Prayer that is obligatory, then we say that this is an innovation that is not accepted, because it opposes the Sharee’ah in quantity. With all the more reason, if the person prays the noon Prayer for example as five units, then his Prayer is not correct by agreement.

4. The Fourth: al-Kayfiyyah (manner, mode); so if a man performs ablution, and he begins with washing the feet, then he wipes his head, then he washes his hands, then his face, then we say that his ablution is null and void, because it opposes the Sharee’ah in manner.

5. The Fifth: az-Zamaan (time); so if the person slaughters in the first days of Dhul-Hijjah, then his blood sacrifice will not be accepted due it opposing the Sharee’ah in time. And I have heard that some of the people slaughter sheep during the month of Ramadaan in order to draw closer to Allaah with blood sacrifice. So this action in this manner is an innovation, because there is nothing with regards to drawing closer to Allaah with slaughtering, except for blood sacrifice, gifts and the ’aqeeqah. As for slaughtering in Ramadaan along with the belief that one will attain the reward of slaughtering, such as the blood sacrifice in ’Eedul-Adhaa, or slaughtering for the sake of meat, then this is permissible.

6. The Sixth: al-Makaan (place); so if a man performs i’tikaaf in other than a mosque, then his i’tikaaf is not correct. And that is because the i’tikaaf cannot occur, except in the mosques. And if a woman says, ‘I wish to perform i’tikaaf in the musallaa (place of Prayer) in the house,’ then her i’tikaaf is not correct due to opposition of the Sharee’ah in place. And from the examples of that is if a man desires to perform tawaaf. So he finds that the area of tawaaf has become too confined and he finds that whatever is around it has become too confined. So he starts to perform tawaaf from behind the mosque, then his tawaaf will not be correct, because the place of the tawaaf is the house.

So the act of worship cannot be considered a righteous action, except if two conditions are fulfilled with regards to it, the first is al-ikhlaas (sincerity) and the second is al-mutaaba’ah (following the Prophet). And al-mutaaba’ah cannot be fulfilled, except with the six affairs that have been previously mentioned.” [Refer to Majmoo’ul-Fataawaa (5/253-254) of Ibnul-’Uthaymeen.]

1. In school, you can often redo your exam if you fail. In the hereafter, if one fails there is no going back.

2. In school, you often do not know what questions will be asked. In the hereafter, there are only 3 questions: Who is your Lord? What is your Deen? And who is this man who was sent to you? But the answers are answers you live by.

3. In school, we stay up at night to prepare for the exam the next day. So too in Allah’s exam, we should be staying up in night prayers.

4. In school, we pray and hope and work for an outstanding mark. So too should be our attitude towards Allah’s exam.

5. In school, when we get a great mark, we erupt with happiness. So too will the believers erupt in happiness when they get their books in their right hands. Work for it.

6. In school, when we get a bad mark, sadness can be seen on our faces, and we dislike to face others. So too in the hereafter. Protect yourself from that.

7. During a school exam, you cannot ask anyone for help. In the hereafter, you can prepare from now to get assistance from Allah’s Messenger, the Quran, and other ways of intercession.

8. In school, when exam time draws near, we banish distractions to focus on what is really important. In Allah’s exam, isn’t death within 1 heart beat? Banish distractions and focus.

9. In school, until exam results come out, we worry about the result. In Allah’s exam, we don’t know what our result will be, so we spend our days in hope and worry until the results come out.